Xybots - Walkthrough

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| X Y B O T S |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
GAME: XYBOTS
PLATFORM: ARCADE
GENRE: ARCADE SHOOTER
CREATOR: ATARI 1987
AUTHOR OF THIS FAQ: Kevin Butler AKA War Doc
E-MAIL: kevinb(at)technologist(dot)com
FAQ VERSION: 1.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT I: INTRODUCTION
1. Legal Stuff
2. Version Information
3. Acknowledgements
4. Welcome
5. Overview
UNIT II: GAME INFORMATION
6. The Game
6.1 The Controls
6.2 The Playing Field
6.3 Scoring
6.4 Level Setup
6.5 Supply Store
UNIT III: STRATEGIES
7. Playing the Game
7.1 General Strategies
7.2 Two-Player Strategies
7.3 Boss Strategies
UNIT IV: CONCLUSION
8. Conclusion
_______________________________________________________________________________
To find a particular chapter or subchapter do the following:
1. Highlight the chapter or subchapter name you wish to find.
2. Press CTRL-C
3. Press CTRL-F
4. Press CTRL-V
5. Press CTRL-F
5. You will arrive at the desired chapter or subchapter.
_______________________________________________________________________________
**************
********************************* U N I T I **********************************
**************
+=================+
| 1. LEGAL STUFF |============================================================
+=================+
This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advanced permission from the author. Use of this guide on
any other web sit or as part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and
a violation of copyright. All content in this guide is Copyright 2003 by
Kevin Butler. Only the sites listed below have permission to publish this
work or to display it:
www.gamefaqs.com
www.cheats.de
faqs.ign.com
If you wish to put this guide on your site, e-mail me and ask. Save yourself
the headache of putting up with lawsuits and whatnot because you failed to ask
a simple "Can I post your guide on &ltinsert site>?". If you wish to use info
in this guide, please acknowledge that you have done so.
If you see this guide on any other site then the one listed above, please
e-mail me. If you wish to ask questions or give input to this guide, please
e-mail me. Just have Xybots as the subject so I know it isn't another kooky
vendor trying to sell me hair gel or another XXX site telling me I have new
friends.
+=========================+
| 2. VERSION INFORMATION |====================================================
+=========================+
Version 1.0 10/ 8/03: A guide is born.
+======================+
| 3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |=======================================================
+======================+
The following are a list of people or organizations that have made this FAQ
possible:
My wonderful family (who has had to put up with the tapping on the keyboard)
Atari for making a great arcade game
GameFAQ's for putting up this FAQ
+=============+
| 4. WELCOME |================================================================
+=============+
Welcome to my FAQ for Xybots. Since the game is just a shooter that goes
until your man is killed, there is no walkthrough per se. Instead it will be
broken up into the game itself, strategies for survival, and some interesting
quirks in the game. Input is appreciated along with constructive criticism.
If you wish to e-mail me thoughts on this FAQ, better ways of doing things,
other strategies, etc., feel free. Make sure you put Xybots as the subject.
If you don't, I'm liable to discard the e-mail as spam.
+==============+
| 5. OVERVIEW |===============================================================
+==============+
Xybots was another in a long line of Atari games that showed its innovation.
Atari, of course, created the first commercially successful game with Pong.
Then they went on and developed vector graphics with Lunar Lander. Battlezone
was on the cutting edge of technology, at the time, with its three-dimensional
vector lines. Xybots was the first arcade game to put the player into a three-
dimensional, first-person perspective world. This game can be considered an
"ancestor" of the modern day first person three-dimensional shooters such as
Doom and the Medal of Honor series. By this time, Atari was now two companies.
The first company just produced for the home entertainment area such as
personal computers, game consoles, and handhelds. The other half, owned by
Midway, produced the arcade machines. Because the game was ahead of its time
(as compared to other games of this time), it didn't do too well at the
arcades. It did, however, spawn a new generation of shooters based on its
model.
***************
******************************** U N I T II **********************************
***************
+==============+
| 6. THE GAME |===============================================================
+==============+
Xybots is a three-dimensional, first-person perspective shooter. You play as
either Major Rock Hardy or Captain Ace Gunn (in the two-player game). It
appears that a vital space station has been taken over by Xybot warriors. Of
course, there is nobody else around so it is up to you (and possibly an ally)
to liberate the space station. It won't be easy since there are several types
of Xybot warriors to prevent you from getting that far into the station. If
you do get lucky enough to get through, you can tangle with a Master Xybot who
seems to be controlling some of the action. Your work won't be done, though,
since there are more levels and more robots to take out. You are the last
hope. Good luck and good hunting.
____________________
/ 6.1 The Controls /__________________________________________________________
--------------------
In order to become a master of this game, you must be familiar with the
controls. The controls are a little complicated at first since there are more
buttons to work with.
- An eight-way joystick that also twists a quarter-turn left or right.
- A fire button
- A zap button (Player 1 or 2 button)
_________________________
/ 6.2 The Playing Field /_____________________________________________________
-------------------------
The playing field for this game is a little "cluttered". There are a lot of
things going on that you will need to keep track of at all times. I have
included an example of what the playing field looks like (a little larger then
normal):
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| R O C K | | A C E |
|\ +-------------+ /| MAP |\ +-------------+ /|
| | | ##% ENERGY || | | | | ##% ENERGY || |
| | +--+_____ +--+| | | | +--+_____ +--+| |
| | |----- |&lt-CURRENT ENERGY | | |----- | | |
| | ++ SCORE ++ | | | | ++ SCORE ++ | |
| | | ###| | | | | | ###| | |
|/ ++-+ +-+ \| OF |/ ++-+ +-+ \|
| |( )=## ++ &=##|&lt-COINS & KEYS | |( )=## ++ &=##| |
| |______________| | | |______________| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|\ |__|__|__|__|__| /| |\ |__|__|__|__|__| /|
| \ | | | | | / | | \ | | | | | / |
| | |__|__|__|__|&lt-BONUS ITEMS LEVEL | | |__|__|__|__| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |__|__|__|__| | | | | |__|__|__|__| | |
|/ / \ \| CURRENT LEVEL |/ / \ \|
|---------------------------------+---------------------------------|
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| PLAYER ONE | PLAYER TWO |
| VIEW | VIEW |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
You control your man through this screen.
_______________
/ 6.3 Scoring /_______________________________________________________________
---------------
Scoring in this game is actually pretty easy since there aren't many things for
you to tangle with. Also, some enemies require more then one hit to take them
down. The enemies color will show you how many hits it takes to eliminate
them.
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| NAME | COLOR | HITS | SCORE |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| SAUCER | YELLOW | 1 | 200 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| SAUCER (KAMIKAZEE) | ORANGE | 1 | 200 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| WARRIOR | BRIGHT RED | 3 | 200 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| WARRIOR | RED | 2 | 200 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| WARRIOR | DARK RED | 1 | 200 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| GUARDIAN | GREEN | 2 | 500 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| GUARDIAN | DARK GREE | 1 | 500 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| TANK (SIDE ARMOR) | ORANGE | 3 | 300 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| TANK (SIDE ARMOR) | DARK ORANGE | 2 | 300 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| TANK (SIDE ARMOR) | BROWN | 1 | 300 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| TANK (FRONT ARMOR) | ORANGE | 3 | 400 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| TANK (FRONT ARMOR) | DARK ORANGE | 2 | 400 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| TANK (FRONT ARMOR | BROWN | 1 | 400 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| FLY | PURPLE | 3 | 600 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| FLY | BLUE | 2 | 600 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
| FLY | GREEN | 1 | 600 |
+--------------------+-------------+------+-------+
You get 100 points per item collected in the maze (items such as energy orbs,
keys, coins, etc.)
You get three coins for every 25,000 points you score.
When you destroy all the Xybots on a level, you get a bonus of 5,000 points.
Using the warp on level 1 gives you the following Warp Bonus:
75,000 points
25 coins
100% energy
Using the warp on level 4 gives you the following Warp Bonus:
75,000 points
25 coins
100% energy
In two-player mode: The first player to exit the level gets a 5,000 point
bonus.
You also get the following score for taking out the Master Xybot:
400 points per laser (there are six lasers total).
(250,000 points x number of times you take on the Master Xybot) + 5 coins. So
this means basically first time, 250,000 points; second time, 500,000 points;
etc.
After level 105 and every 80 levels thereafter, this bonus resets back to
500,000 points. Then the bonus will be 500,000 points x number of times you
take on the Master Xybot from the last reset. Resets are at levels 185, 265,
345, etc.
All bonuses max out at 2,500,000 points before they reset back to 500,000
points again.
The game is over when your character is brought down to 0% energy. You can
continue your game with additional quarters.
The game is over in two-player mode when both players have been brought down to
0% energy. Again, more quarters will continue the game.
___________________
/ 6.3 Level Setup /___________________________________________________________
-------------------
The different levels in Xybots are set up like mazes. Some mazes are harder to
navigate then others. Levels 1 through 7 are training levels. Levels 1
through 6 remain the same. Level 7, on the other hand, has at least eight
different possibilities. After level 7, the mazes are random. There is, how-
ever, a pool of specific mazes. The random factor is where your character is
placed in the maze and the maze alignment itself. What I mean by alignment is
that you will go through Maze A. A few levels later, you will go through Maze
A again, but this time it will be flipped over or be a mirror. In addition,
you may start from a different point.
There are a couple of special levels you need to know about.
Starting at level 20 and every 10 levels afterwards, the player one and/or two
view is totally dark. All you will be able to see are the Xybots, keyholes,
teleporters, and exits. You must use your main map for the level to navigate
around. The walls are still there, it's just so dark that you can't see them.
Starting at level 15 and every 10 levels afterwards, you will have to take on
the Master Xybot. Look at Chapter 7.2 for taking care of him.
Below are the mazes for levels 1 through 6, the different mazes for level 7.
The legend is:
E = Exit
W = Warp (note all warps go to level 7)
T = Teleporter (number will follow if more then one set of teleporters)
K = Door requiring key
Y = Your starting point
NOTE: Levels with the same number at the right and left side of the level are
"wrap-around" levels.
+---------+
| LEVEL 1 |
+---------+
This level just has Saucers in the main area and Warriors in the room with the
warp.
+--------------+--+
| W |E |
+--+ | |
| | |
| K |
+--------+--+ |
| |
| +--+
| +--+
| |
+--+ |
| |
+--+ |
| |
| +--+
|Y |
+--+
+---------+
| LEVEL 2 |
+---------+
This level just has eight Warriors around the perimeter.
+------------------+
| |
| +------------+ |
| | | |
| | +--+ | |
| | | | | |
| +---+ | | |
| E | | |
+---------+ +--+ |
+ Y |
+-----+
+---------+
| LEVEL 3 |
+---------+
This level has Tanks (with side armor).
+------------+
| |
| --- --- +--+
| E |
| -------------+
| |
| --- |
| |
+--+---------- |
| |
| ---+------+
| |
| +--+
| |
+-----+ |
|Y |
+--+
+---------+
| LEVEL 4 |
+---------+
This level has Tanks (with front armor).
+------------------+
|E |
| ------ ------ +--+
| T|
| --+-------- ---+--+
| | |
+-------+-- | --------- |
| W | |
+-------+ --+ --------- |
|T | |
+-- +-------- ---+
| | |
| --+ --------- |
| |
+------------------+
+---------+
| LEVEL 5 |
+---------+
This level has Guardians.
+-----+-----+
| | |
| | |
| | |
+--+ ---+--+ +--+
| Y +-- |
+-----+--+--+ ---+
|E | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+-----+
+---------+
| LEVEL 6 |
+---------+
This level has Flys.
+--+
|E |
+--+ +--+
| |
+--+ | | +--+
| ++ ++ |
+--+ ++ ++ +--+
| ++ ++ |
+--+ -- ---- -- +--+
| |
+--+ -- ---- -- +--+
| ++ ++ |
+--+ ++ ++ +--+
| ++ ++ |
+--+ | | +--+
| |
+--+ +--+
|Y |
+--+
+---------+
| LEVEL 7 |
+---------+
Level 7 has eight different maps. Of these, two maps are upside-down versions
of levels 7B and 7C. I will only show the six unique maps. All the different
enemies are located on this level. This is the last "give-me" level..sort of
like a graduation present. After this level, you will have to buy all the
items for wall and monster mapping (in addition to other things).
/----------\
| LEVEL 7A |
\----------/
+--+-----+--------+-----+---------+
| | | | | |
| | | | | | +--+ -+ |
| | | ---+ | | | | |E |
| | | | | | | | +- +--+
| K +--- | +--+ | | |
| | | | | | | +--- |
+--+ | ---+ | | | | |
| | | | | | | ----+
| | | +--- | +--+ | |
| | | | | | | |
| +--- | | ---+ | ---+---+ |
| | | | | | |
| | | +--- | +--+--- | |
| | | | | | |
| | ---+--+--- +--- | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | ---+ ------+ | |
| | Y | | |
+-----+-----+--------------+------+
/----------\
| LEVEL 7B |
\----------/
+------------------+
| |
+--+ | +-----+
| E | |
+-------+ |
| | | | +-------+--+
| | T +--+ +--+ |
| K Y K +--+
| --- +--+ +--+ T |
| | | +--+
+-----+----+K-+--------+----+
| |
| |
+----------------+
/----------\
| LEVEL 7C |
\----------/
This is a "wrap-around" level.
+--+
+--+ +----+ +--------+
+--+ +-----+ +--+ |
+--+ +--+ | T |
| | | +-----------+--+
| | | | |
|E | | +----------+ | |
| | | T |
| +-----------+ | | +--+ |
| | | +----------+--+ +--+
+--+ | |
| +-----------+ | 2
2 | |
---------+ | +--------------
| |
1 +--+ +-----+ 1
---------------+ +--+ +--------------
/----------\
| LEVEL 7D |
\----------/
This level is in three parts (part numbers are above the individual mazes).
Note the teleporters (first number is where one is teleported from and second
number is where they will be teleported to).
1 3
+-----------------+ +-------------+
| | | --+ +--- |
+-------+ --+ | | | | |
| | | | +--+ +--+--+ |
| +-- +-- +-- | |T21 | | | |
| | | | +-----+-- |
+--+ --+ ----- | | |
| | +-------+ |
| ---+ ---------+ |E |
|T32 | Y | +--+
+-----+-----------+
2
+--+--------+
T13| |
+-------+ | ---- |
| | |
| -----+--+ ---- +------+
| | |
| | -----+ ---- |
| | |
| | ------ ----------- |
| |
+--------------------------+
/----------\
| LEVEL 7E |
\----------/
+--------------------------------------+
| |
| +----------+ +--+--+ +------- T |
| | Y +--+ | +--+ | |
| | | | |
| +--+ | +--+ |
| | | | |
| +--+ | +--+ |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| +--+ | +--+ |
| | | | |
| +--+ | +--+ |
| +--+ |E +--+ | |
| T -------+ +---+--+ +---------+ |
| |
+--------------------------------------+
/----------\
| LEVEL 7F |
\----------/
+--+
+--+Y +--+
| |
| |
+--+------ +-+
| |
+------+-- --+------+
| | |
| |
| | +--+--+
+-------------+ ----+E | |
| |
+------------+
____________________
/ 6.4 Supply Store /__________________________________________________________
--------------------
When you get finished with a level, you will enter the Supply Store. It is
here that you will stock up on both the permanent and temporary items to make
your navigation through the next maze that much easier. Everything costs coins
so hopefully you have been saving them up. Most everything is provided to you
on levels 1 through 7 so you won't really need to spend money on the temporary
things except vitality. For levels 8 and beyond, you will have to purchase
everything that you need. You can also see what things you have by looking at
the Bonus Item area of the screen.
+--------------+
| SUPPLY STORE |
+--------------+
You can purchase two types of things at the Supply Store: Permanent and
temporary items. Permanent items last throughout your game and you carry them
from level to level. Temporary items, on the other hand, are only good for the
level that you use them on. You must repurchase them every time you start a
new level. Below is the Supply Store: (NOTE: In two-player mode, an option
appears that allows player 1 to transfer coins to player 2 and vice-versa)
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| MAXIMUM # OF | ITEM NAME | COST PER | LEVEL ITEM |
| ITEMS PLAYER | | ITEM IN | FIRST APPEARS |
| CAN BUY | | COINS | |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| PERMANENT ITEMS |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 4 | EXTRA SPEED | 7 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 4 | EXTRA ARMOR | 7 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 4 | EXTRA SHOT SPEED | 7 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 4 | EXTRA SHOT POWER | 7 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 4 | EXTRA ZAP POWER | 7 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| TEMPORARY ITEMS |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 4 | EXTRA VITALITY | 2 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 3 | TWO SHOTS | 1 | EIGHT |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 3 | WALL MAPPER | 1 | EIGHT |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 3 | MONSTER MAPPER | 1 | EIGHT |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 3 | GUARD MAPPER | 1 | FOUR |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 2 | WARNING ARROW | 1 | EIGHT |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 1 | 5 REFLECTED HITS | 5 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 1 | ENERGY PACK | 5 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 1 | KEY | 1 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
| 1 | ENERGY (50%) | 1 | ONE |
+--------------+------------------+----------+---------------+
+-----------------+
| BONUS ITEM AREA |
+-----------------+
Below the area where your total coins and keys are displayed, there is a grid
with five squares at the top row and four squares in the next two rows. These
are graphic displays of items you currently possess. The permanent items are
in the top five squares while the temporary items are in the next eight
squares. Here is the display and explanation of these items:
+---+---+---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
+---+---+---+---+
|10 |11 |12 |13 |
+---+---+---+---+
/-----------\
| 1. Speed |
\-----------/
This icon represents how fast your character can move. A number from 1 to 4 is
located on the icon. The higher the number, the faster he can move.
/------------\
| 2. Shield |
\------------/
This icon represents how much armor your character has on. A number from 1 to
4 is located on the icon. The higher the number, the more resistant to damage
the character is.
/----------------\
| 3. Shot Speed |
\----------------/
This icon represents how fast your laser shots make it to the target. A number
from 1 to 4 is located on the icon. The higher the number, the faster your
shot makes it to its target.
/----------------\
| 4. Shot Power |
\----------------/
This icon represents how powerful your laser shots are. A number from 1 to 4
is located on this icon. The higher the number, the more powerful your shot
and the less hits it will take to destroy a Xybot.
/------------\
| 5. Zapper |
\------------/
This icon represents how powerful your Zapper is. A number from 1 to 4 is
located on this icon. The higher the number, the longer you can stun a Xybot.
Note that this will use up quite a bit of energy. Depending on the strength
of the Zapper, you will lose anywhere from 10%-20% of your energy for each use.
/--------------\
| 6. Vitality |
\--------------/
This icon represents your degree of energy loss in the maze. A number from 1
to 4 is located on the man's chest. This number represents the number of
levels that you have the Vitality item. Each level decrements this number by
one.
/---------------\
| 7. Two Shots |
\---------------/
This icon represents your having a double shot capability. Two shots basically
mean you fire two instead of one shot at a target.
/-----------------\
| 8. Wall Mapper |
\-----------------/
This icon represents whether all of the walls of the maze are shown on the main
map for the level. A number from 1 to 3 will be located on the icon. Each
increment represents 1 level of use that the walls are displayed. Therefore,
having it maxed out at three means you can use the Wall Mapper for 3 levels
before you have to purchase it again. If this is not purchased, then walls
will only show up on the main map as you explore the maze.
/--------------------\
| 9. Monster Mapper |
\--------------------/
This icon represents whether all of the Xybots (excluding Guardians) are shown
on the main map for the level. A number from 1 to 3 will be located on the
icon. Each increment represents 1 level of use that the Xybots are displayed.
Therefore, having it maxed out at three means you can use the Monster Mapper
for 3 levels before you have to purchase it again. If the Monster Mapper is
not installed, you won't find the Xybots until they are within your visual
range.
/---------------------\
| 10. Warning Arrows |
\---------------------/
This icon represents whether you have warning arrows activated. Warning arrows
point to threats that are out of your viewing range. For example, if something
is coming from your side, then a warning arrow will be displayed pointing to
that threat.
/----------------------\
| 11. Guardian Mapper |
\----------------------/
Same as the Monster Mapper but it just displays Guardians instead of regular
Xybots. Plus, it is only good for one round.
/-----------------\
| 12. Reflection |
\-----------------/
This icon represents how many hits will bounce off your character. A number
from 1 to 5 will be displayed on the shield and for every hit that bounces off
your character, the number will go down by 1.
/------------------\
| 13. Energy Pack |
\------------------/
This icon represents whether you have the energy pack. If you have an energy
pack, you can go to a maximum of 125% energy vice 100% energy without the pack.
****************
******************************** U N I T III *********************************
****************
+======================+
| 7. PLAYING THE GAME |=======================================================
+======================+
You start you game with your man (or men in the two-player game) standing at
the end of a corridor. Your goal is to make it to the exit while inflicting
the most amount of damage without taking too much damage. There is also a
quick tutorial during this first level to help you better gain experience for
the coming levels.
__________________________
/ 7.1 General Strategies /____________________________________________________
--------------------------
- Always look at the level map when you enter a level. There will be a couple
of second delay before you enter the level. Look for where the exit is.
This also helps to determine whether you are being put in the middle of a
group of Xybots.
- Your character can lose energy in a variety of ways:
- Naturally within the maze itself. You lose 2-3% of your energy in the
maze per second. If you purchase the Extra Vitality, your energy will
be lost at a slower rate. This rate is usually about 1% per second.
- Saucers that go Kamikaze will take out 25% of your energy when they hit.
- All other Xybots take out 10% energy per hit, but they usually fire
multiple times.
- Using the Zapper.
- Saucers like to pick up items and carry them to other parts of the level.
This can be especially frustrating if you know where an item is, then return
to find it gone because a saucer picked it up. Keep this in mind unless you
have taken out all the saucers.
- Money is a very precious commodity in this game. This is what you use to
buy the permanent and temporary items in the Supply Store. After level 7,
you will be buying everything you need to get through the level. At the
bare minimum, you should constantly purchase the following:
- Wall Mapper x 3 - To give you an idea of how the maze is set up and also
where the closest exit is.
- Monster Mapper x 3 - To give you a general idea of what non-Guardian
Xybots are running around.
- Vitality x 4 - To minimize the amount of energy you lose on the level.
- These purchases will last you a minimum of three levels before you have
to purchase more temporary items.
- Keys are another valuable commodity within the mazes. Keys can open doors
that can shorten one's trip to the exit, or they can open doors that have a
lot of extra items in them.
- In addition to the above, attempt to get permanent items when you can. The
best ones would be extra armor and shot power.
- Use the Warp Exits when you can. With the 75,000 points, you get 3 coins
added to the bonus coins for using the warp. In addition, your energy is
brought back to 100% again so you don't have to waste money healing up. The
warp exits are located on levels 1 and 4.
- Energy orbs can give either a 50% or 100% boost to your energy. If you are
only down a little, do not use it. Wait until you are under 50% energy
before getting one.
- If you are placed in a wide open area, immediately look for the exit or find
a protected corner. This prevents the Xybots from surrounding your
character.
- Xybots follow a specific pattern when they move around. Once they spot your
character, though, they will immediately go in for the attack. Sometimes
multiple Xybots will swarm the area to try to eliminate your character
quickly.
- When approaching corridors that turn, doorways, or openings in the wall,
turn your character toward that area and sidestep to the turn or opening.
That way, if there are any Xybots lurking around, you can get the first shot
in and take them out before they know what happened to them.
- Your character's range of vision is four squares around. It is the same for
the Xybots. When going down corridors, it's a good idea to put a few shots
"down-range". The reason is you may catch one of the Xybots "napping" and
eliminate them before they can react.
- When approaching openings or doorways, stop short of said opening. If a
Xybot is patrolling, they won't see your character but you will see their
movement pattern and then you can plan accordingly.
- Many of the levels have blue barrels. These can be used for cover when you
are busy having shootouts with the Xybots. Just "peek" around them to get
your shots off.
- Speaking of blue barrels, you can use the Zapper on them to collect items.
These items are random.
- Don't use the Zapper unless it is absolutely necessary. Its purpose is to
stun the enemies for a couple of seconds. This makes them vulnerable to
your attacks. The energy loss to do this, though, is an uneven exchange.
You will do better just shooting it out with the Xybots. Of course, if you
are surrounded, then that would be a good time to use it.
- When fighting the Flys, keep in mind that they move up-and-down in addition
to side-to-side making them very hard targets to hit. It addition, you will
need to keep moving around to avoid their fire and the blue barrels provide
minimal protection since they can fire above them.
- The teleporters in the maze act in a duel fashion. When you step on one
teleporter pad, you will arrive at another one. Get off and step back on
the teleporter pad you just arrived on to teleport to another place. Levels
with multiple teleporter pads can be very confusing unless you do this.
- Make sure you pick your battles. If you are on a level loaded with Xybots,
it may be better to find the exit then to shoot it out with them. Granted,
you can get the points, items in the maze, and possible coin bonuses for
score. This, though, may be an unfair exchange since you will be taking a
large energy drain with little return.
- Watch your energy meter. It will go yellow when you are at 50% and go red
when you are at 20% or less.
- Make sure you note the Xybots colors when you are fighting them. This is
the key to tell you how many hits it will take to take them down. Don't be
surprised if you hit a Xybot once and it is still firing on you.
- Some levels have false walls. These walls can be taken out with your laser
fire. They do not show up differently on the main level map. Before you go
shooting at the walls, make sure of what is behind those walls. Opening one
of these walls could be like kicking a hornet's nest. You find yourself
surrounded by Xybots intent on erasing you from existence.
- Some of the levels have a "wrap-around" feature. This basically means if
you exit the maze on the right side, you will reappear on the left side. It
gives the illusion of one continuous maze. On these types of mazes, when
you look at the map, make sure you note enemies not only on your side, but
on the opposite side as well.
- The big thing is to learn how to turn and move at the same time. This is in
addition to being able to fire while performing this maneuver. If you can
accomplish this smoothly, your chances of survival are greatly increased.
_____________________________
/ 7.2 Two-Player Strategies /_________________________________________________
-----------------------------
These strategies are in addition to the general strategies.
- First of all, each player is immune to the other player's shots.
- If all the Xybots are destroyed, the first player that exits the maze gets
the bonus.
- The first player that exits the level gets a 5,000 point bonus.
- If one of the players enters the warp, both players will warp regardless of
the other player's location.
- If one of the players dies, and the other makes it through that particular
level, the other player is brought back with 50% energy. The other player
also loses all the items they may have collected on that level.
- If both players die, the game is over.
- Learn to work with each other. The combined firepower of two people is
quite significant if applied the right way.
- Watch each others back. When one person is facing one way, have the other
face the other way in case some Xybots want to sneak up on you.
- In addition, watch in directions that you are unprotected. For example, in
a corner one person can look straight while the other looks to one of the
sides.
- Don't get greedy and have one player take everything. Learn to share items
found. Also, share coins at the Supply Area so that both characters can get
maximum benefits. This is a game of cooperation so treat it as such.
_______________________
/ 7.3 Boss Strategies /_______________________________________________________
-----------------------
In order to eliminate the Master Xybot, you must take out all six of his
lasers.
- You will be placed on a platform to the left of the Master Xybot. In front
of you will be his hand with six openings in it.
- These openings flash at random. When they flash, they fire shots at your
character. Your goal is to hit one of these openings when it is flashing.
When you do, that opening is cannot fire shots anymore.
- You must run back and forth on the platform to not only avoid the laser
fire, but to also shoot up the openings.
- You must take out all six openings in order to defeat the Master Xybot.
- On the later levels, the rate of fire from these openings gets faster.
****************
******************************** U N I T IV *********************************
****************
+================+
| 8. CONCLUSION |=============================================================
+================+
When this game first came out, it seemed like it was out of place among the
other arcade machines. Putting my quarter in, I tried my luck at it. The
going, at first, was pretty rough since one had to get used to the controls. I
would only survive a few levels before I put another quarter in to continue on
with the punishment. After a while, I finally did notice improvement as I got
used to the controls. Although the first levels were now easy to get through
(since you play through them all the time), the later levels provided the
necessary challenge to keep the adrenaline going. Since it was random (except
for the dark areas and the boss), you never knew where you would be put next.
In addition, trying to get enough coins for those few precious items was a
challenge in itself. After a while, one started to develop some basic
strategies to take on the enemy but these didn't always work. Instead of a
game of speeding through to the exit, one had to literally "creep" around with
their character and hunt down the enemy. Again, kill or be killed was the
mantra. Even after all was said and done, there was always one more quarter
left to play another game. Unfortunately, it is very rare to find this machine
anywhere. However, through the miracle of emulation, a whole new generation is
realizing what we "old" folks enjoyed those many years ago. I hope this guide
helps you in being able to get the most amount of gameplay for this game. If
you do have other ideas or thoughts, please e-mail me and share them. Who
knows, maybe I'll start a Q&A Chapter in this guide if enough people ask the
same questions. Anyway, thank you again for reading this guide.
To see other FAQ's I have written please go to:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/32691.html
~~~ No trees were harmed in the making of this FAQ ~~~